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Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)
| running time = 97 min. | country = USA | language = English | budget = | gross revenue = $12,534,961 Box Office Mojo; Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth | preceded by = Hellbound: Hellraiser II | followed by = Hellraiser: Bloodline }} Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth is the third installment in the Hellraiser film franchise. It is the first in the series produced in the United States and was released theatrically on September 11th, 1992. The film was directed by Anthony Hickox based on a screenplay by Peter Atkins and Tony Randel. The movie was adapted into a one-shot graphic novel published by Marvel Comics under their Epic imprint. Hellraiser III differs from previous films in the series, largely due to the altered personality and motivations behind it's primary antagonist Pinhead. The movie also expands on the character's background showing the mortal Pinhead and the events that first brought him into contact with the notorious Lemarchand puzzle box. Pinhead appears on Earth and begins creating new Cenobites while investigative reporter Joey Summerskill does what she can to survive, while also safeguarding a street urchin named Terri. Plot After the confrontation in Hellraiser II, the Cenobite named Pinhead is trapped, along with the puzzle box, amongst the writhing figures and distorted faces etched into the surface of an intricately carved pillar - the Pillar of Souls. The pillar is bought by the rich and spoiled J.P. Monroe (Kevin Bernhardt), owner of a popular nightclub called The Boiler Room. An ambitious young television reporter, Joey Summerskill (Terry Farrell), slowly begins to learn about Pinhead and the mysterious puzzle box. She is introduced to the pain the box can bring when she views a teenage club-goer being ripped apart by the box's chains in a hospital emergency room. She tracks the box and a young woman named Terri (Paula Marshall) to The Boiler Room, from which Terri had stolen the puzzle box. Through video tape interviews with Kirsty Cotton recovered from the Channard Institute, Joey and Terri learn about the demonic Cenobites and the power of the Lament Configuration, the only means of sending Pinhead back to Hell. Pinhead remains dormant until one night several hooked chains shoot out of the pillar and rip into one of the club goers, Brittany Virtue (Sharon Percival), Monroe had recently slept with. After killing her she is absorbed and her face appears on the pillar. Pinhead convinces Monroe to bring him club members so he can feed on their blood and be freed from the pillar. Now more dangerous than ever before, since he has been separated from his human self - a World War I British Army officer named Elliot Spencer who takes Joey on a walk round a trench filled with the corpses of what are presumably his men, explaining the nature of himself and Pinhead - and is simply the manifestation of Elliot's dark side and no longer under the control of Hell and purely out to cause chaos and destruction (in the previous movies the Cenobites were creatures of order, not chaos). Pinhead slaughters everybody in The Boiler Room, creating several new Cenobites in the process. Pinhead sets out to destroy the puzzle box so he need never return to Hell again. As time runs short, Joey must think of a plan to bring Pinhead and his newly-created Cenobites back to the realm of Pinhead's human self or else doom both herself and the mortal world to an eternity of pain and suffering. Cast Principal cast Special appearances Co-Stars Uncredited cast Releases Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth was released theatrically in the United States on September 11th, 1992. It grossed $3,208,009 over its opening weekend, ranking at number three and averaging $3,721 over 862 theaters. The widest release of the film totaled 898 theaters. Box Office Mojo; Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth The film was released to video on January 25th, 1995. It was re-issued on VHS on September 17th, 1996. Both standard and special edition versions of the film were released on DVD on June 25th, 2001 by Lions Gate Entertainment. The DVD was re-issued with new cover art on August 8th, 2006 by Paramount Home Video. Notes & Trivia * The tagline to this film is, "He'll offer you the heights of ecstasy, but you'll spend eternity in the depths of Hell." * Body Count: 64 * First film in the series produced by Miramax Films. First film in the series produced in the United States. * The theatrical running time for the film was 93 min. The director's cut includes 4 minutes of previously deleted footage. * Principal shooting for Hellraiser III began on September 23rd, 1991 and concluded on November 1st. The movie was filmed on location in Charlotte and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. * Several of the production crew members make guest appearances in this film. Director Anthony Hickox plays Soldier #2. Producer Lawrence Mortorff plays the role of a bum. Screenwriter Peter Atkins plays the barman Rick as well as the Barbie Cenobite. * Actress Terry Farrell, who plays the role of Joey Summerskill, is more popularly known for playing Jadzia Dax on the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Ironically, one of Farrell's DS9 co-stars was Andrew Robinson (Garak), who played the role of Larry Cotton in the first Hellraiser. * Kirsty Cotton, the central protagonist from the first two films, makes a cameo appearance in this film on a video monitor. She appears next in Hellraiser: Hellseeker. * Includes a cameo appearance by the heavy metal band Armored Saint. During the Boiler Room party, they perform the song "Hanging Judge", which appeared as track 9 on their 1991 album Symbol of Salvation. * This is the first, and to date, only known film work for Tonya Saunders, who is one of the Go-Go dancers. * This is the first, and to date, only known film work for Kim Ball, who is one of the Go-Go dancers. * This is the first, and to date, only known film work for Cassandra Perry, who is one of the Go-Go dancers. * This is the first, and to date, only known film work for Anna Marie Isaacs, who is one of the Go-Go dancers. * This is the first, and to date, only known film work for Alicia Vickers, aka Flame, who is one of the Go-Go dancers. * Rosemary Gore, who plays the role of a date, is uncredited in this film. * The Paramount Home Video DVD includes a bonus featurette titled "Clive Barker: The Art of Horror". * Joey Summerskill is the first character in the mythos to ever refer to the Lead Cenobite as "Pinhead". * Although Randy Miller is credited as the composer for this film, there are many elements of Christopher Young's original score from the first two Hellraiser films interspersed throughout this feature. * One of the businesses that Joey runs past during the Cenobite attack is called Elm Street Café, a possible wink to the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. * Angela Thomas, who plays one of the Go-Go dancers is actually a film assistant production coordinator. This is her first work as an actress. Keywords * Demons * Demonic entities * Dismemberment * Female topless nudity * Ghosts * Head injuries * Impalement * Male rear nudity * Mutilation * Nightmares * Profanity * Severed fingers * Severed limbs * Stabbings See also External Links * * * Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth at Wikipedia * Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth at the Hellraiser Wiki * Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth at the Horror Film Wiki * * * * * References ---- Category:Films Category:1992 films Category:3rd installments Category:Dimension Films Category:Lions Gate Entertainment Category:Miramax Films Category:Paramount Pictures